The fields have been dragged, baseball has been played and you can bet that laundry has been done.
The North Saskatchewan River Baseball League is now at the midway point of the season, and there are a few viable contenders who will have a quality opportunity to take down the reigning champions of Border City. While numerous teams are looking for a shot at the title, there are some that probably wish the 2016 campaign was already over.
The Midwest Expos, St. Walburg Reds and the Mervin Flyers all share this narrative, winning just one out of a possible eight games. The beauty of this is eight games of baseball still need to be played, with both the Reds and Flyers sitting three and a half games back of first in the Smith division. Not one team in the NSRBL has been counted out on making a playoff run.
Here at home, the North Battleford Beavers are sitting at 3-4, last in the Colliar division, and are one of those clubs that look to improve defensively if they want to exceed their own expectations. Coach Rory Gregoire believes it is the lack of depth that is hurting them the most this season.
“We have seen the good, bad and ugly side of our team so far this year,” Gregoire said.
“We have potential but I think this is the first year in a while that we are lacking depth at pitching. With a combination of pitchers moving away and injuries to current pitchers, we’ve found ourselves scrambling to find personnel to pitch and throw strikes. Players have found themselves in positions where they may not feel as comfortable and that has led to our misplays in the field.”
The defensive struggles have been apparent for the Beavers, who lead the NSRBL in runs allowed with 72. The 1-7 Expos are a close second with 68. North Battleford has had to throw pitchers into the fire for most of the season, and the result, in most cases, has been their inability to find the strike zone.
“In our losses, if you look at the stats, the numbers probably show roughly half the runs have scored from walks,” Gregoire said.
“We are basically handing teams runs, and eventually the games. If we can start to cut back on the amount of walks then I think we can fair a little better down the stretch. Ask any ball player, walks kill a team’s momentum. It puts the fielders on their heels rather than toes which leads to not being ready and sharp. If we can start cutting back on walks I think that can turn our season around.”
Gregoire believes that his team has what it takes from a defensive standpoint to make the playoffs, but it all starts with who is on the mound, and whether or not they can throw consistent strikes. Pitching and defence go hand in hand.
As for what is working for the team, the Beavers skipper says it’s their bats and the ability to drive in timely runs that has been their backbone this season.
“This is one of the better hitting teams that we have had in the past,” Gregoire said.
“It’s tough in a short season to get hot and stay hot, especially playing only twice a week. For some guys, the reps just aren’t there so that becomes a challenge to get in a rhythm. As long as our bats can keep putting runs up and our pitching can improve we can salvage this season. Our players aren’t satisfied with the results we are getting and are determined to change things pretty quick.”
There is still time for the Beavers who are just two and half games out of first place in their respective division. But, in a short, sixteen game season, that window can close as quick as it opened. North Battleford can get back on track as they travel to Unity Tuesday for a bout against the 5-3 Cardinals.
Across to the Smith Division, the Meadow Lake White Sox have put together an impressive run, holding off the Beavers in a 9-7 game over the weekend while moving their record to 5-3. Pitcher Quincy Winkler has been their ace on the mound, sporting a 2.62 ERA and pitching three complete games thus far. On the other side of the ball, it’s Shawn Erwin leading the charge with a .400 average, collecting six hits.
Coach Kevin Gerwing has enjoyed watching his team bounce back after struggling early in the season.
“We had gotten off to a rougher start than we hoped for after losing the first three road games,” Gerwing said.
“We are an experienced group, though, and we have turned things around. If we can get hot here in the second half I can see us being a dangerous team in the playoffs.”
When it comes to the defence of the White Sox, they are in the middle of the pack allowing 41 runs to score throughout the season. Like the Beavers, it is making the routine plays that can go a long way for Gerwing’s team.
“Our defence hasn't been as sharp at the start of the season as we are used to,” Gerwing continued.
“For us to be successful we will need to get back to how we know we can play. We are getting strong outings from our pitchers and we need to help them out more in the field. If we make the routine plays our pitchers are strong enough to get us out of most jams.”
Meadow Lake has been consistent with the bats in their hands, scoring 53 runs thus far. Gerwing believes there are no holes in his lineup and can hit as well as anyone in the league when it comes down to it.
Winning at home has also been an asset to their five-win season. The Sox have yet to lose on home turf, taking three straight victories in front of their fans.
Another team that has duplicated Meadow Lake's success at home is the Wilkie Brewers, who hold a perfect 4-0 record in Wilkie and are 5-1 overall.
The team has played well behind ace pitchers David Schell and Robert Cey, highlighted by a 21-3 effort against the Edam Blue Sox. The bats have come alive throughout the lineup and are hitting for a .323 average as a team. Recently, the Brewers put up a 14-run effort against the St. Walburg Reds, adding to what has been one of the more successful beginnings to a season in franchise history.
As it stands now, the Lloydminster Redhawks are in first place with an 8-1 record, while the reigning champions, the Border City Blue Jays, remain a .500 team at 4-4. The NSRBL is still very well up for grabs, setting the stage for an exciting second half.
